100 years ago: events that shaped the world

Hang on for a minute...we're trying to find some more stories you might like.

Email This Story

Send email to this addressEnter Your NameAdd a comment hereVerification

By Anna Petrovich

Messenger Staff Writer

Although many inspirational quotes tell us to “live in the moment,” some of us forget the most important things that have happened in the past. Our world 100 years ago held many important events and dates that molded our world into what it is today. One century ago, America was growing as a whole in population, economy, and working its way toward becoming a better country. For example, on January 8th, 1918, Mississippi became the first state to ratify the 18th amendment (prohibition), and President Wilson outlined his 14 points for peace after WWI. On May 21st, the House of Representatives passed an amendment allowing women to vote, and on June 3rd, the Supreme Court ruled child labor laws unconstitutional. Many people know that the actual value of one dollar has inflated greatly over the years, but the exact sta
tistic is that the dollar in 1918 equals more than $16 now. 1918 was also the year that the first Tarzan film, “Tarzan of the Apes,” premiered at the Broadway Theater on January 27th. On March 6th, the U.S. naval boat “Cyclops” disappeared in the Bermuda Triangle. To this day, no one knows to where all of the missing ships and boats have disappeared in the Bermuda Triangle. 2018 marks the 100th year of daylight savings time being active in the U.S.; on March 19th, Congress authorized time zones and approved daylight savings time, and on March 31st, the first daylight savings time in the U.S. went into effect. On July 8th, Babe Ruth’s blast over the fence in Fenway scored Amos Strunk, leading the Red Sox to win 1-0 over Cleveland, and the prevailing rules reduced Babe’s home run to a triple. Only a couple months later on September 5th, the 15th World Series began a month early due to WWI. The first use of an iron lung at Boston’s Children Hospital occurred on October 12th. This contraption has saved many lives since it was finalized. On October 31st, the Spanish flu-virus killed 21,000 in the U.S. after one week, and 675,000 Americans would die from the pandemic. A race riot in Chester, Pennsylvania, occurred on July 25th, killing three blacks and two whites, and the next day another race riot took place in Philadelphia, killing three whites and one black. 1918 was not only a major year for America, but it was also a major year for the entire world–it was the year that World War I was brought to an end. Throughout the year, many different countries proclaimed independence from their mother countries, including Ukraine (Jan. 22th), Lithuania (Feb. 16th), Estonia (Feb. 24th), Latvia (Apr. 9th), the Georgian Social Democratic Republic (Mar. 26th), Yugoslavia (Oct. 17th), Czechoslovakia (Oct. 18th), Poland (Nov. 1st), and Bavaria (Nov. 9th). On January 14th, both Finland and the U.S.S.R. adopted the New Style (Gregorian) calendar. On February 1st, Russia adopted the Gregorian calendar (becoming February 14th), with Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania adopting the Gregorian calendar on February 15th. 1918 was also a very important year for the U.S.S.R, with new capitals being instated, leaders shot, and country separated. January 25th was the date that Russia was declared a republic of Soviets. On February 5th, the separation of church and state began in U.S.S.R. On March 9th, the Russian Bolshevik Party became the Communist Party; by March 11th, Moscow had become the capital of revolutionary Russia, and on July 10th, the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic formed.
On July 16th, Tsar Nicholas, his wife, and their five children were assassinated in Russia, ending the reign of the imperial family. On July 26th, Russia severed all diplomatic ties with the U.S. The second half of the year, WWI was slowly coming to a close. June 6th marked the day of the Battle of Belleau Wood, also the first U.S. victory of WWI. The Battle of the Argonne, the final major battle of WWI, was fought on September 26th. It was on November 11th at 11 AM that World War I ended on the Western Front due to Germany’s surrender. Germany signed armistice, marking this day in history as Armistice Day. On this day in history-exactly 100 years ago– a famous American actor named Efrem Zimbalist Jr. was born. This man had starring roles in the television series 77 Sunset Strip and The F.B.I. He died on May 2, 2014, at the age of 95.